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Digitization of the administration and innovations for development
Project

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Project start date
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Status
Ongoing
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Project end date
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AFD financing amount
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39 200 000 €
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Country and region
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Location
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National and Huye
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Beneficiaries
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Government of Rwanda
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Type of beneficiary
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State
AFD is supporting Rwanda’s digital transformation through the modernization of IT networks in government institutions across the country, the creation of a national GeoHub, and the building of a Drone Operation Center in Huye.
Context
Rwanda has made digital transformation a pillar of its social and economic development strategy. Ranked among the best in Africa for connectivity, the country has achieved 99% 4G coverage, digitalized more than 89 public services, and built a reputation as a continental leader in ICT (information communication technology) policy. This progress is driven by the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT), supported by the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) and the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA), and anchored in national strategies such as the Smart Rwanda Master Plan and the National Strategy for Transformation.
Building on these achievements, the government is positioning ICT as an “essential infrastructure” for achieving upper middle-income status by 2035 and high-income status by 2050. Digital transformation is seen as a driver to accelerate economic growth, strengthen social inclusion, and modernize the state. Challenges remain: government IT infrastructures are outdated, geospatial data is still under-used despite its potential to improve decision-making, and the growth of the drone sector is held back by a lack of dedicated infrastructure.
Description
To accelerate Rwanda’s digital transformation, AFD is providing a 37 M€ loan and a 2.2 M€ grant including 1 M€ in technical expertise implemented by Expertise France. The program focuses on three priority areas:
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Modernizing public sector networks and IT systems in 50 key sites such as hospitals, schools, district offices, and ministries. This will give civil servants the tools to deliver faster, more reliable, and more secure services to citizens across the country.
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Creating a national GeoHub, managed by the Rwanda Space Agency, to make high-quality geospatial data accessible to ministries, local governments, and private actors. This will improve policy design and planning in areas such as agriculture, health, disaster response, urban development, and environmental protection.
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Building a Drone Operation Center in Huye to foster a regional drone industry. The center will offer facilities for research, training, and testing, helping develop innovative applications in logistics, agriculture, health, and environmental monitoring.
Impacts
By the end of the program, the modernization of networks and IT systems in 50 priority public sites will improve the speed, reliability, and security of digital services. Around 5,000 civil servants will benefit directly from better connectivity, enabling them to deliver faster, more reliable, and more secure public services to the whole population. The reinforcement of the network of Chief Digital Officers (CDO) deployed in the different administration will contribute to this objective.
The national GeoHub, will centralize geospatial data and provide advanced analysis tools, boosting decision-making across key sectors such as forestry, smart agriculture and smart irrigation. By facilitating access for public institutions, researchers, and private actors, it will enhance evidence-based policies and more effective monitoring at national and local levels. The Geohub also benefits from peer-learning with the French geospatial ecosystem.
The Drone Operation Center in Huye will be one of the first facilities of its kind globally, designed as a one-stop shop for drone registration, repair, training, and safe flight operations. It will attract national and international manufacturers, operators, researchers, and universities, fostering the emergence of new applications and supporting the growth of Rwanda’s drone ecosystem through research, development, and innovation.
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